A Father's Love
by SnarkyLittleHufflepuff
Summary: Tony is struggling with his worth when his father come to town. Can Gibbs convinces him he is loved?
1. Monster From The Past

Title: A Father's Love

Pairings: Gibbs/Tony father/son

Summary: When Tony discovers his father's coming to town, it surfaces long buried memories. Can Gibbs convince Tony to let him help and that he's worth a father's love?

A/N: This is the first story in a series that is part of what I call A Father's Love or AFL 'verse. I have this story mostly completed, and will post when I can, but it will really help me out if you guys would leave reviews to tell me what you think I need to work on.

Thanks

-Starbeam

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Tony quietly opened the door and made his way to his couch. He ungracefully plopped down and leaned back against the cushions with a weary sigh. He thought about the case they had just finished up.

The 12 year old son of a Naval Commander was found beaten, raped and murdered in Anacostia Park, tossed aside like yesterday's garbage. After a thorough investigation, they discovered the boy's father had been physically and sexually abusing his son for years. Only the last time he went too far. When asked why he did it, he shrugged and said "It's a father's right."

'It's a father's right.' That phrase had been swirling around in his head ever since the Commander said it. He remembered every time he heard his own father say those words. _"It's a father's right, Anthony."_ It was starting to bring back some memories he had tried hard to forget.

"Stop it, Anthony," he told himself harshly. "Remembering won't solve anything."

It was then that he noticed the flashing light on his answering machine. He pressed the button. The automated voice came on. "You have one new message." As the message was relayed, Tony paled and started shaking as he heard the familiar voice filtering out.

"Hello, Junior," the voice of his father sneered. "Did you really think you could hide from me? Pathetic. Well guess what? I found you. And I'm coming to DC next weekend. And don't think you can hide from me because I **will **find you. It's been awhile since we had some fun together. I'm really looking forward to it. Until Saturday, Junior." Senior laughed a laugh that made chills run up and down Tony's spine.  
>"End of messages."<p>

By the end of the message, Tony was practically hyperventilating. He sat down on his couch, hard, and tried to control his breathing. Once he got his breathing back to normal, he put his head in his hands.

'_What am I going to do'_ he thought. Before he could stop himself, he flashed back to the last time he saw his father.

_*Flashback*_

_Tony sat quietly in his room on his bed, reflecting back on the events of a week ago. His father was getting more and more abusive. Last time though was the worst it's ever been. He didn't know what made his father so angry. He had done well on his test and been on his best behavior. Maybe he hadn't tried hard enough. He was glad from the small respite, but knew it couldn't last forever._

_All of a sudden he heard loud, angry footsteps resound throughout the mansion, and prayed that his father wasn't drunk again. They stopped outside his door, and Tony scrambled to stand at attention. All of a sudden his door was thrown wide open with a resounding bang. Tony jumped. _

"_JUNIOR," Senior bellowed._

"_Y-y-yes si-sir," Tony stammered._

"_Pathetic," Senior sneered, although his speech was a little slurred. Tony knew his father was drunk and that a brutal beating was coming._

"_Yes sir, sorry sir," Tony said, hoping that agreeing with his father would put him in a good enough mood that he would leave the room without giving Tony a beating. But he knew that it was a slim chance._

"_Pathetic," Senior repeated, the sneer still on his face. "You are a pathetic, worthless little brat. I have no idea why the hell I got such a sniveling idiot as a son. You should have died instead of your mother."_

_Tony struggled not to cry because it would get him another 'DiNozzo's don't cry' lecture, not to mention a more severe beating. _

_Senior took his belt off and folded it into thirds. He looked at his son._

"_Take off your clothes and lay down on the bed, Junior," he said. _

_Tony looked up at his father in horror. "No sir, please," he begged. _

"_NOW, JUNIOR," he bellowed._

_Tony scrambled to do as he was told. He laid down on the bed a prayed for this beating to be over with quickly. He tried to brace himself, but the first strike still came as a shock. He stifled a gasp. He didn't have time to brace himself for the next strike because it came fast, not to mention hard. He tried not to cry or scream because that would only make it worse. But Oh God it hurt! He prayed for it to be over. But soon, mercifully, he passed out. _

_*End Flashback*_

The next time he woke up, he was in the hospital. Turns out Senior had beaten him so badly that he put Tony in a coma for a week. He never saw his father again, because as soon as he was well enough to leave the hospital, he was disowned and being shipped off to Rhode Island Military Academy.

He thought he'd put this all behind him and moved on. But hearing his father's voice and knowing he was coming to DC was bringing it all back for Tony.

'_It just goes to show you how wrong I was', _he thought bitterly. He had no idea what to do. He didn't want to have to face his father, but he also didn't want his team finding out about it. They'd treat him like a victim.

'_And I am _not _a victim,'_ he thought darkly. He worked hard to make sure that no one ever knew what he had tried so hard to put behind him. But he was sure that Ducky and Gibbs suspected something. He sighed.

"Maybe everything will be clearer tomorrow," he said to himself.

He went to bed and tried to sleep. But all night he was plagued with nightmares. Nightmares filled with monsters, all with the grotesque-looking face of his father.


	2. Decision Made

Title: A Father's Love

Pairings: Gibbs/Tony father/son

Summary: When Tony discovers his father's coming to town, it surfaces long buried memories. Can Gibbs convince Tony to let him help and that he's worth a father's love?

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update! Here is the next chapter. And I want to thank all of you who took the time to review the first chapter: **NickTonyK, Gibbs4Eva, ladykale1985, tansysam, moira4eku, poohbear123, srushton24, Long Live BRUCAS, keembur, Dru, PoeticJustice84 and Caper25**. Thanks for letting me know I'm doing a good job!

-Starbeam4267

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Tony shot up in bed with a gasp, heart pounding and sweat soaking his body and his sheets.

"Damnit," he whispered, running his finger through his hair. That was the sixth time that night he woke up from a nightmare. He sighed and looked over at the clock. 4:30. He sighed again.

"I might as well head into work," he said to himself. "It's not like I'm actually going to get anymore sleep." He let out a mirthless laugh.

Tony slowly made his way to the bathroom and stripped. He turned the water up as hot as it would go and stood there, resting his forehead against the wall. Once the water started turning cold, he hurriedly finished his shower and got out. He started getting ready for the day, but only put in a third of the effort he normally did. Deeming himself ready, he headed to the front door. Grabbing his wallet, keys, phone, badge and gun off the table, he opened the door, closed and locked it behind him, and headed for work.

Tony arrived at work fifteen minutes later. After greeting the guard at the gate, Tony headed to the bullpen. He plopped down into his chair with a groan and turned on his computer. He leaned back in his chair, and before he knew it he was asleep.

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Gibbs strode into the bullpen at 6:15, sipping on his usual cup of coffee. When he got to the bullpen, he stopped. It didn't surprise him that Tony was there already; it wasn't that unusual. What was unusual, however, was that it looked like his Senior Field Agent was in the midst of a nightmare.

He debated with himself about whether or not to wake Tony up. He decided that he probably should, and headed over to Tony's desk. But before he could make it there, Tony suddenly shot up with a gasp. He looked around wildly, and when his eyes landed on Gibbs, a look of embarrassment fleeted across his face before putting on a mask of indifference.

"Hey, Boss," Tony said, trying to hide the shakiness in his voice but not quite succeeding.

"Hey, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied neutrally, looking at him intently. Tony squirmed under his gaze. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not particularly," Tony replied.

Gibbs looked at him for a moment before finally nodding his head. "Alright," he said, heading for his desk. He decided to let the subject drop for now.

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Tony let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful that Gibbs let the subject drop, but knew it was only temporary. They worked on paperwork silently.

Half an hour later, they heard the ding of the elevator. Tony looked up, and sure enough out walked Abby. She bounced over to Gibbs' desk.

"Good Morning, El Jefe," she said with a bright smile.

Gibbs looked up at her and gave her a small smile in return. "Mornin', Abs."

She then turned her sights to Tony.

"Tony," she squealed, planting herself in his lap.

"Morning, Abs," he said, giving her a small smile. "How was your night?"

As Abby started prattling on about what she did the night before, Tony felt himself relax. As long as Abby was talking, he could forget about his problems and focus on her. Soon, the elevator dinged again. Out walked McGee and Ziva, talking and laughing.

Once Abby spotted them, she stopped talking and made her way over to them. Tony frowned at the loss of attention.

"Timmy, Ziva," she exclaimed, giving them each one of her special Abby Hugs.

"Hey, Abs," "Hello, Abby." McGee and Ziva replied as they returned her hugs. After chatting with them about their nights, she decided to head to her lab.

"Good Morning, Boss." "Good Morning, Gibbs." Gibbs grunted in greeting.

They turned their sights to Tony and greeted him. He looked up distractedly and nodded in reply. McGee and Ziva looked at each other and frowned. That wasn't like Tony at all. They sat down and tried to engage Tony in conversation, but every attempt failed. They grew more and more worried by the second.

Gibbs stood up suddenly. The others stood up as well.

"Do we have a case Gibbs," Ziva asked.

"Nope," Gibbs replied. "It's all cold cases." McGee and Ziva groaned and sat back down. Tony on the other hand was relieved. He wasn't sure he could concentrate on an actual case right now.

Gibbs made his way to the elevator. "Going for coffee," he threw over his shoulder.

As soon as Gibbs was gone, McGee turned to Tony.

"Alright, Tony, what's wrong," McGee demanded.

"Nothing's wrong," Tony said defensively.

"Don't give me that," McGee said, concerned. "You haven't spoken one word to us unless you had to, you haven't played any pranks, thrown something at us, or called me names. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong McGee," Tony snapped. "Now just drop it."

Surprised at Tony's behavior, McGee complied. There was tense silence in the bullpen. When Gibbs came back, he noticed, but didn't say anything. For the most part, Tony was left alone, and that's exactly what he wanted. It gave him time to think. There was one close call when Ziva cornered him in the men's room, but he managed to evade her questions.

At 6:30 Gibbs said "Go home." The others looked at him. "Go. I'll see you on Monday."

McGee and Ziva hurried out of there, eager to escape from the tension hanging over their heads. Tony on the other hand took his time.

Gibbs stood in front of Tony's desk, waiting. Finally, Tony looked up.

"My door is always open, DiNozzo," Gibbs said quietly.

"I know Boss," Tony replied just as quietly.

He watched Gibbs go and sat down to think. He finally decided on an answer to the question he'd been pondering since last night. He took a deep breath and made his way out of the bullpen, hoping he made the right decision.e HE


	3. Telling Gibbs

Title: A Father's Love

Pairings: Gibbs/Tony father/son

Summary: When Tony discovers his father's coming to town, it surfaces long buried memories. Can Gibbs convince Tony to let him help and that he's worth a father's love?

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up! I kept starting over because I wasn't satisfied with the way the chapter was going. But I finally got it the way I want it. I want to thanks all of you who reviewed last chapter:** hecticlife, Audie the gothic alchemist, Skipper96, chaos56, poohbear123, ladykale1985, Tiva-McAbby4Life, DarkRose4u, KellyGibbsNCIS, DS2010, Long Live BRUCAS, TheNagginCube, julie250, Caper25, tansysam, Gibbsgirl777, and NickTonyK**. You guys rock! And thanks for sticking with the story so far. Only two more chapters to go!

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Tony had been sitting outside Gibbs' house for the past fifteen minutes, trying to work up the courage to go inside.

"Come on, DiNozzo," he told himself. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

'_Yes, there is,'_ that little voice inside him argued.

"Like what?

'_For one thing, he could be disgusted by you when you tell him and kick you off the team.'_

"Gibbs wouldn't do that," Tony argued.

'_Are you absolutely sure about that,'_ the little voice said nastily.

Tony stopped and thought. One of his worst fears was that one day Gibbs would get tired of him. He thought of the man as a father. Hell, Gibbs treated him as more of a son than his own father ever did.

"Come on, DiNozzo," he told himself harshly. "Just go in there and tell him."

Tony took a deep breath and got out of the car. He walked up to the house, opened the door, and made his way to the basement, where he was sure Gibbs would be. Sure enough, there he was, sanding his boat.

Tony slowly made his way down the stairs. He walked over to the wall by the stairs, leaned against it, and slid down. He took a deep breath to get his emotions in check. Gibbs waited patiently for him to talk.

"My father's coming to town tomorrow," Tony said tightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gibbs stop what he was doing and look at him. "I-I'm not quite sure how to feel."

To his horror, he found himself in the beginning of a flashback. He tried to stop it, but it was already too late.

_*Flashback*_

_Five year old Tony was so excited. Today was Father's Day, and he couldn't wait to show his father what they made in school. He raced to his father's study and opened the door. He froze. Looking at him were business associates of his father. He knew he was in trouble this time. He was never supposed to interrupt one of his father's meetings._

_He chanced a look at his father. Sure enough, his face was turning red with rage. But he put on a show for his guests. _

"_Everyone, this is my son Anthony," Senior said with a fake smile. "Say hello, Anthony."_

"_Hello. It's very nice to meet you," Tony said politely. _

"_Anthony, why don't you go to your room," Senior said._

"_Yes, Father," Tony said. He turned to his father's guests. " It was very nice to meet you. Excuse me."_

_He left the office and closed the door behind him. He hurried to his room. Tony nervously sat down on his bed and waited for his father. He wondered what his punishment was going to be this time. _

_He didn't have to wait long. Twenty minutes later he heard angry footsteps pounding down the hall towards his room. He quickly scrambled to stand at attention. Senior burst into his room._

"_What was the meaning of that Junior," he bellowed. "You embarrassed me!"_

"_I'm sorry, Father," Tony squeaked. "I didn't know you had guests. I just wanted to show you what we made for Father's Day."_

"_What makes you think I would want anything you made," Senior sneered._

"_Yes, Father," Tony said softly. He tried very hard not to cry._

_Senior started undoing his belt. "You embarrassed me, Junior," he repeated angrily. "That is unacceptable." He grabbed Tony and threw him down on the bed. He folded his belt into thirds and brought it down hard onto Tony's back. _

_SMACK! Tony screamed in pain. Senior hit him again and again. Soon Tony was crying as well as screaming. Fifteen minutes later, Senior finally stopped._

"_Let that be a lesson to you, Junior," he said darkly._

_He put his belt back on and left the room. Tony just curled up into a ball and wept. _

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_Eight year old Tony sat on his bed in his best suit, numb. He just got back from his mother's funeral. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He had already cried himself out. _

'What am I going to do now,' _he thought, lost._

_Suddenly, his door burst open. In came his father, charging like a raging bull. He was drunk. Tony could smell the alcohol on his breath. Senior came straight for him. He tried to back away, but he wasn't fast enough. _

"_It's your fault," Senior raged. "You should have died instead of her!"_

_He grabbed Tony, ripped off his suit, and threw him down on the bed. He quickly pulled off his belt and folded it. _

"_Father, please," Tony begged. "Please don't!"_

"_Shut up," Senior bellowed. He brought the belt down hard on Tony's buttocks. _

_SMACK! Tony screamed. SMACK! "It should have been you!" SMACK! "You worthless little brat!" SMACK!_

_Over and over Senior beat him. Tony thought it would never end. He prayed for the pain to end. He got his wish. He soon lost consciousness. _

_*End Flashback*_

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Gibbs could only watch in horror as the man he thought of as a son was dragged back into his painful past. He rushed over to Tony, grabbed him into his arms, and rocked him back and forth, trying to drag Tony out of the nightmare he was trapped in.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only twenty minutes, Tony snapped out of the flashbacks. He tensed when he realized Gibbs was holding him and tried to get away, but Gibbs just tightened his hold. After a few minutes, Tony relaxed into his embrace.

Gibbs tilted Tony's chin up to face him. Green eyes met blue.

"Tony, I want you to listen to me, okay," Gibbs told him. Tony nodded. "I am so sorry that you had to go through all that. If I had raises you, you would have been loved. I may not have raised you, but as fat as I'm concerned, you are my son. And I will never let Senior hurt you again. I love you, son."

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Tony looked at Gibbs in disbelief. He couldn't believe what Gibbs was saying. If his own father didn't want him, why should Gibbs? He searched those blue eyes for deceit, but all he found was sadness, anger, sincerity… and love.

Tony couldn't help it. He started crying. This was all he ever wanted and felt he could never have. He felt Gibbs' strong arms wrap around and hold him close, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words in his ear. He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: secure.

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Gibbs felt Tony slowly relax. He heard his breathing even out and knew that he was starting to fall asleep. He knew this wouldn't be a comfortable position for either of them.

"Tony," he said, gently shaking his shoulder. "Come on, son. Let's get you upstairs to bed."

He led Tony upstairs to the guest bedroom. Tony plopped down on the bed. Gibbs undressed him to his boxers and undershirt and tucked him in. He went to the door and turned off the light.

"Love you too, Dad," Tony mumbled.

He was already half asleep, so he didn't see Gibbs smile as he closed the door.

_e_


	4. Bringing In The Team

Title: A Father's Love

Pairings: Gibbs/Tony father/son

Summary: When Tony discovers his father's coming to town, it surfaces long buried memories. Can Gibbs convince Tony to let him help and that he's worth a father's love?

A/N: Hey, everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up! But there's a lot of character interaction and it's hard for me to write Ziva's character and the interaction between her and Tony. But I think I finally got them in character! I want to thank all of you who reviewed last chapter: **jjd022980, Tiva-McAbby4Life, moira4eku, gibbsgirl1980, haamjoha, NickTonyK, angeleyes46, DarkRose4u, Downey for President, Long Live BRUCAS, ladykale1985, smush68, Skipper96, and tansysam.** Your encouragement keeps my creative juices flowing! There is one more chapter left, and I will try to get that up as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'm working on another story, **For The Love Of A Woman**, and I would appreciate it if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think. Until next time!

-Starbeam4267

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Tony stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion for a moment before remembering where he was. He was embarrassed at first, before remembering what Gibbs told him last night. _'He thinks of me as a son!'_

Tony smelled coffee and heard pots banging together downstairs. Gibbs was up. He got out of bed and stretched. He got dressed and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Gibbs looked over at Tony when he walked in and smiled.

"Mornin'", Gibbs said, handing him a cup of coffee and a plate piled with eggs and bacon.

"Morning," Tony said, smiling shyly. He sat down at the table across from Gibbs. There was silence, but it was a comfortable silence, not awkward.

"How are you feeling this morning, son," Gibbs asked him.

Tony looked up at him and smiled. "Better than I was last night."

"I'm glad." Gibbs put down his coffee and looked at Tony. "Look, Tony. I think we should tell the team about your father."

Tony looked at him in horror. "What! No! Why!"

"Tony, son," Gibbs said gently. "They need to know about your father so that they can help you keep your father away."

"I don't-"Tony started, averting his eyes.

Gibbs expression softened. He made his way over to Tony and knelt down next to him. He tipped Tony's chin up to look at him. "Son, they're not going to think you're weak."

Tony's eyes widened in surprise. How did-. But then, he shouldn't really be surprised. Gibbs sometimes knew him better than he knew himself.

Gibbs brought Tony's attention back to himself. "Son, they'll be angrier if they find out from someone other than you."

Tony thought about it. On the one hand, he didn't want the pity he knew he would see from the others. But on the other hand, it would be a relief for the others to find out.

Tony looked back at Gibbs. "Okay," he said softly. "Okay, let's tell them."

Gibbs gave him a smile. "Okay. I'll call the others over."

Tony returned the smile. "I'm going to go take a shower while you're doing that." Gibbs nodded and Tony headed to the bathroom.

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Gibbs watched Tony walk away with a sigh. He knew this wasn't going to be easy for Tony. But he needed to get it out in the open. Bottling it all up inside wasn't going to do anyone, especially Tony, any good. It would only make the memories come when Tony didn't want them to, as he witnessed in the basement. But he wouldn't let Tony go through this alone. He would be there with him every step of the way.

He got out his phone and pressed a number on his speed dial. He waited for McGee to pick up the phone.

"Boss," he answered. "Do we have a case?"

"No," Gibbs replied. "I need you to come over. Tony needs to tell you something. And bring Ziva too." He could hear McGee gather his things on the other end of the line.

"Does this have anything to do with why Tony was acting the way he was acting yesterday," McGee asked, and Gibbs could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, McGee, it does."

"Alright. I'll get Ziva and head over there. Want me to call Abby?"

"No, I'll do it. Just get over here as fast as you can."

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs hung up the phone. He then called Abby. After calming her down from a near panic attack, she said that she'd be right there. After calling Abby, he talked to Ducky. Gibbs told him to bring Palmer as well. After he got the calls taken care of, he settled down to wait. Five minutes later, Tony came downstairs and took a seat on one of the arm chairs. Gibbs smiled at him and he gave a small smile back.

"Did you call them," Tony asked nervously, fidgeting in his seat.

"Yep. They're on their way here," Gibbs replied. His expression softened as he looked at Tony. "Son, look at me." Tony did. "Everything's going to be fine," Gibbs said reassuringly. Tony gave him a not-quite-convinced smile back.

Just then knocking was heard coming from the front door. Gibbs got up to unlock it, patting Tony on the shoulder as he went. He looked out the window and when he saw who it was, he opened it. The team looked at him with bemused expressions on their faces.

"Gibbs, your door was locked," Abby exclaimed as she and the others came inside. "Your door is never locked!"

"This time I had a good reason," Gibbs said as he led them to the living room.

They all took a seat and greeted Tony when they saw him. He gave a jerky nod in return. The others looked at Gibbs in return.

"Go ahead, son," he told Tony gently. The others grew even more concerned when they heard Gibbs' tone and turned their attention back to Tony.

"My father is arriving in town today," Tony said, playing with the hem of his shirt and not looking up at them. He then went on to tell them about his father, from the first time Senior beat him when he was five, to the last time he saw Senior when he was twelve. When he finished, there was complete silence and Tony chanced a look up. Ducky and Gibbs looked pissed, Ziva looked downright murderous, Abby had tears in her eyes, Palmer looked sad and McGee was in shock.

After recovering, Gibbs suggested they take some time to digest this information. Gibbs and Ducky went to the basement, Tony went to his room, and the others went to different parts of the house.

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McGee stood outside Tony's door debating about whether or not to go in, when the problem was solved for him.

"You just going to stand there all day, McGee, or are you going to come in," Tony called from inside the bedroom.

McGee opened the door and went inside. Tony was sitting down on the bed reading. McGee closed the door behind him and just stood there and watched him for a while. Finally, Tony looked up at him, concerned.

"What's the matter, Probie," he asked.

McGee started to move toward him, and then stopped. He played with the sleeve of his shirt. "Tony, I'm sorry," McGee said, alternating between glancing at Tony and looking around the room.

Tony furrowed his brows. "What do you have to be sorry about McGee," he asked, confused.

McGee finally looked at him. "I always thought that you had the perfect childhood," he explained, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "That because you grew up with money, you got everything you could ever want or need."

"I thought the same about you," Tony pointed out. "The perfect childhood part I mean."

"Yeah, but I never imagined "Yeah, but I never imagined you were abused by your father. I mean, yeah, I got beat up, but that was by bullies, not someone who was supposed to love and care for me. I knew he was neglectful, but I never thought it went this far."

McGee was distressed. It must have shown on his face because Tony put the book down and motioned for McGee to come sit with him on the bed. McGee complied, still not looking Tony in the eyes.

"Tim," Tony said, putting his hands on McGee's shoulders and forcing McGee to look at him. "I tried very hard to **never** let anyone know what had happened to me."

"Still, I feel like I should have picked up on the clues," McGee said dejectedly.

"That just means I'm a good actor, not that you're a bad investigator," Tony said. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks Tony," McGee said. He looked Tony straight in the eyes, trying to get him to believe his next words. "Tony, we're not going to let him get you."

"Thanks Tim."

Tony smiled at him and McGee smiled back. As McGee left the room, he swore that he would protect Tony no matter what the cost.

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Ziva was standing by the stairwell, thinking about what she had just heard, when Tony walked by on his way to the kitchen, not noticing her standing there. She pushed herself off of the wall and followed him into the kitchen. She stood there watching him. She had no idea what to say to him. What do you say to a friend when they reveal to you what an abusive childhood they had?

Tony turned around and finally noticed Ziva standing there. He jumped in surprise. "Gaah! Ziva! Don't do that," he exclaimed, putting a hand over his heart.

Ziva didn't feel the usual smugness she did whenever she managed to sneak up on him. "I am sorry, Tony." She stared at him with an intense expression on her face. Tony squirmed under her gaze.

"What," he finally asked.

Ziva stepped closer to him. She adverted her gaze before bringing it back to rest on Tony. "I never imagined this was what you had to go through as a child."

Tony leaned back and rested his hands on the counter. "You didn't have the best childhood either," he pointed out.

"Yes, but my father never abused me."

"No, he just raised you to be a killer."

Tony and Ziva stood there staring at each other for a couple of minutes. Finally, Ziva softened her gaze. "We will not let him hurt you again. You realize that, yes?"

"I know Zi. Thanks." Tony smiled at her and she smiled back. As he made his way out of the kitchen and to the back porch, he brushed his shoulder against hers. As Ziva's thoughts wandered again to the abuse Tony suffered at the hands of Senior, her eyes hardened. She was determined to keep her promise.

'_He goes near Tony and I will kill him slowly and painfully,'_ she vowed.

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Abby stood outside on the back porch watching Tony. She felt sad and also angry. What kind of monster would do that to their own son? And to Tony no less! He didn't deserve that.

Tony turned his head and noticed Abby standing there. He smiled up at her. "Hey Abs. Care to join me?"

Abby rushed over to him and gave him a hug. "Oh, Tony," she said sadly, sniffling.

Tony put his arms around her and returned the hug. "Hey, Abby, it's okay," he said softly.

Abby pulled away and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "I just can't imagine what you must have went through. I mean, what kind of monster would do that to their own kid? I gathered that Senior wasn't the best parent, but I never thought he could sink so low and – Oh, Tony we're not going to let him get you!"

"Thanks, Abs," he said, giving her a smile. She returned it.

"Is there anything I can do for you," she asked, giving him another hug.

"Yeah. Just sit here with me for a little while." He returned the hug.

"Okay. I can do that." As she made herself comfortable next to him, she thought about Senior and swore that if he laid even one single finger on Tony, she would kill him and leave no forensic evidence.

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Palmer made his way out of the bathroom and toward the stairs. Halfway there, he ran into Tony. Tony gave him a smile.

"Hey, Jimmy."

"Hey, Tony," Palmer said, giving him a small smile back. He stood there uncomfortably while Tony examined him.

"What's wrong," Tony asked.

"Oh, no-nothing," Palmer replied, wishing he could escape this conversation. As they stood there, Palmer got the feeling that Tony could see into his soul. He saw a look of realization suddenly appear in Tony's eyes.

"Your father was abusive too," Tony said with knowing sadness.

Palmer was shocked that Tony could read him so well, but also relieved that he didn't have to hide it anymore. "Yeah. He was an alcoholic. He wasn't so bad when he was sober, but when he was drunk, which was most of the time, he was a real terror. And I was the one he took it out on."

"I'm sorry, Jimmy."

Palmer gave a small shrug. "Yeah, well, as long as he was beating me, he was leaving my little sister alone." He looked at Tony seriously. "Tony, you know we're going to stop him, right?"

"Yeah¸ Jimmy, I know." Tony patted him on the shoulder as he passed, and as they went their separate ways, Palmer felt closer to Tony in light of their shared pasts.

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Ducky was nursing a jar half-full of bourbon as he watched Gibbs work on his boat and thought about Tony. "Poor Anthony. It's terrible to imagine that the poor boy had to go through that." He took a sip of bourbon as he waited. He knew Gibbs would speak when he was ready. He just had to be patient. Sure enough, Gibbs soon stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him.

"You should have seen him last night, Duck," Gibbs said, voice full of pain. "As soon as he started talking about his father, he started having flashbacks. They lasted for twenty minutes and there was nothing I could do to stop them. If I had known what was going on when he was a child Duck, I would have put a stop to it." He ran a hand down his face.

"I know you would have, Jethro," Ducky soothed. "But unfortunately, you weren't. All you can do now is be there for young Anthony."

Gibbs expression suddenly hardened.

"Oh Dear," Ducky sighed. "I know that look. What are you up to, Jethro?"

"I'm going to go tell Senior that he'll stay away from my son if he knows what's good for him," Gibbs growled, heading for the stairs.

"Jethro," Ducky called after him. Gibbs stopped and looked back at him. "I know there's no stopping you. Just be careful. Anthony can't afford to lose you."

"I will, Duck," Gibbs called as he went up the stairs.

Ducky sighed and stood up. His expression hardened as he thought about Senior. He met his match in Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He would heed Gibbs' advice if he knew what was good for him.

'_Although I wouldn't mind performing an autopsy on _him_,'_ Ducky thought darkly as he went upstairs.


	5. A Father's Love

Title: A Father's Love

Pairings: Gibbs/Tony father/son

Summary: When Tony discovers his father's coming to town, it surfaces long buried memories. Can Gibbs convince Tony to let him help and that he's worth a father's love?

A/N: Well, here we are, folks! The last chapter of "A Father's Love"! I really enjoyed writing it and I hope that you really enjoyed reading it as well. I want to thank all of you who reviewed last chapter: **kutoki, chaos56, Tiva-McAbby4Life, NickTonyK, Audie the gothic alchemist, Long Live BRUCAS, tansysam, jjd022980, moira4eku, DarkRose4u, smush68 and DS2010.** And I want to give a special shout out to those of you who stuck with me throughout the whole thing and apologize for my sporadic updates. I'm a senior in high school. I'm sure some of you can sympathize with me. I already have the first chapter of the next story in the series, "Anything For You", all planned out and will post it as soon as I can.

Thanks!

-Starbeam4267

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Gibbs opened the door to the basement and exited, entering the main floor of the house. He left the door open for Ducky, who came out only a few seconds later. Both men made their way to the living room.

Gibbs looked around. He saw Ziva, McGee and Abby sitting on the couch and Palmer on one of the chairs, talking. But he didn't see Tony. "Where's Tony," he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. The others looked over at him.

"He's upstairs sleeping, Bossman," Abby said.

Gibbs was relieved even though he didn't show it, both at the fact that Tony was safe and the fact that Tony was sleeping. Tony had a rough couple of days and he needed all the rest he could get. Gibbs then turned his attention to McGee.

"McGee," Gibbs drawled. McGee looked at him. "You know that phone tracking thing you do?"

"Uh, yeah Boss. What about it?"

"Do you need to do it at the office?"

"No Boss." McGee pulled out his laptop. "I have the software right here on my laptop." The others raised their eyebrows but said nothing, just chalking it up to McGee's overprotectiveness of his sister.

"I need you to trace DiNozzo Senior's phone," Gibbs said. The rest of the team (except Ducky who, of course, already knew what he was up to) looked at Gibbs sharply.

"You're going after him, aren't you," McGee stated, already doing what Gibbs had asked of him.

"You already know the answer to that question," Gibbs replied.

"We want to help, Gibbs," Ziva said darkly, eyes flashing and hands balling into fists.

"Yeah Gibbs," Abby fumed, gesturing wildly as she spoke. "No one does that to Tony and gets away with it." Palmer nodded in agreement with Abby.

"No, I'm going to handle this one by myself," Gibbs told them. He held up a hand to stop the protests he knew were coming. "It's better if I do this alone. Besides, someone needs to stay here with Tony until I get back." And with that argument, they reluctantly agreed to let Gibbs handle Senior alone.

"I found him, Boss," McGee suddenly announced.

Gibbs moved closer to him. "Where, McGee?"

"At the Adams Hotel." McGee gave him the address. He grabbed his gun and badge and clipped them to his belt. Then he turned to the others. "I'll be back soon. If Tony wakes up and asks where I am, tell him I had an errand to run."

The others nodded in agreement. Gibbs then hardened his expression and strode determinedly out the door to face Senior.

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After getting the room number from the concierge at the front desk, Gibbs strode purposefully toward Senior's room. He reached the room and knocked angrily on the door. Finally, it opened. Gibbs took a good look at Tony's "father". He could tell that they were related. They had the same eyes, nose and chin. But that was as far as the similarities went.

'_This man is Tony's father in blood and name only,'_ Gibbs thought, scowling.

"Can I help you," Senior asked, looking down his nose at Gibbs. He had a slight Italian accent and a holier-than-thou attitude. That pissed Gibbs off even more.

Gibbs pushed his way into the hotel room and closed and locked the door. He then turned to DiNozzo Senior and got right up in his face.

"Stay away from Tony," he growled.

Senior took a step back and straightened his suit. "And why, Special Agent Gibbs," he said, putting a mocking emphasis on 'Special Agent', "should I stay away from **my **son."

Gibbs got up in his face again. "Wrong," he said, tone dangerous. "He's not your son. He's **my **son."

Senior's face turned red. "That boy has my blood running through his veins," he yelled.

"And that is the **only **thing you have in common with Tony," Gibbs growled, backing Senior against the wall. "I am his father in every way that counts."

"Why would you want him," Senior sneered. "He's a stupid, worthless, weak, pathetic excuse for a man. A waste of space."

Now Gibbs was the one seeing red. "Tony is a better man than you'll ever be," he seethed. "He's solved hundreds of crimes. Saved millions of lives. He's the best friend a person could ask for. And I'm **proud** to call him my son."

Gibbs put his hands on either side of the wall, pinning Senior in. "**You're **the stupid, worthless, weak, pathetic excuse for a man," he growled. "**You're **the waste of space."

He leaned even closer to Senior and was pleased to see fear flash through his eyes. "Tony told me what you did to him," Gibbs said darkly. "Only a pathetic excuse for a man could do that to a helpless child."

"It was my right as a father," Senior said. "I was making him into a man. He was too soft. He needed to toughen up."

Gibbs slammed his hands against the wall and felt perverse pleasure in seeing Senior flinch. "**Nothing** gave you a right to do that," Gibbs yelled.

He grabbed Senior's tie and pulled so that he was looking Gibbs straight in the eyes. "Listen up," Gibbs said menacingly, "because I'm only going to say this once. You will Stay. Away. From. Tony. You will not bother him at home, at work, or anywhere else for that matter. If I find out that you've been bothering him, I. Will. End. You."

"Is that a threat, Special Agent Gibbs," said Senior, trying, and failing, to muster some bravado.

"No," Gibbs replied. "It's a promise." He shook Senior a few times for emphasis. "Am. I. Clear."

"Crystal," Senior replied.

Gibbs let go and stepped away from Senior. Senior cracked his neck and straightened his tie and jacket. Gibbs went to the door and unlocked it. He paused and turned back to Senior. "Remember what I said." He gave one last glare, then didn't give the scum in the room another thought as he walked out of the hotel and to his car. He needed to get back to his son.

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Gibbs arrived back at his house and went into the living room. The others looked up at him and greeted him when he arrived.

"Tony's up, Boss," McGee told him. "He asked where you were, and we told him you had an errand to run, but he's going to want to know exactly where you went."

Gibbs gave a curt nod in thanks. There was silence, and Ducky got the hint and took the lead. "Well, I think we had probably best be getting off." The rest got the hint and reluctantly agreed with Ducky. They left after either hugging (Abby) or nodding at (everyone else) Gibbs.

Gibbs shut the door behind him and locked it with a sigh of relief. It's not that he didn't love them, because he did (even Palmer, he admitted to himself reluctantly), but he wanted to spend some alone time with his son.

Shortly after he finished that thought, Tony came down the stairs dressed in a tee shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked around, confused, but then his eyes landed on Gibbs and he smiled. Gibbs smiled back.

"Hey, Boss," he said, plopping himself down on the sofa. "Where'd everybody go?"

Gibbs took a seat beside him. "They had to get going." He watched Tony, who was playing with the hem of his shirt and tapping his foot on the ground. He knew that Tony had something to say and that he'd say it when he was ready, so he just say patiently and waited.

Finally, Tony looked up at him. "You went to see my father, didn't you," Tony stated rather than questioned, as he already knew the answer.

"Yeah, I did," Gibbs replied. Tony shifted his eyes downward and worried his bottom lip. "Hey," Gibbs said gently but forcefully. "Look at me, son." Tony slowly complied. "He's not going to bother you anymore."

"You don't know my father," Tony said, moving his arms about helplessly. "He doesn't give up that easily. When Anthony DiNozzo Sr. has his mind set on something, he won't stop until he sees it through. And he's determined to hurt me."

Gibbs pulled Tony into a hug. "I won't let him hurt you," Gibbs said softly but surely. "You're **my** son. And I'm **not** going to let **anyone** hurt you or take you away from me. And that includes your so-called 'father'".

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As Tony relaxed in the arms of the man he considered a father, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: loved. For as long as he could remember, his father told him he was worthless, pathetic and weak; a waste of space; that he could never be loved. And he believed it because it seemed that no matter who he met and not matter where he was, his father was right. Then he met Gibbs.

Gibbs was the first person who ever wanted him. He chose **him** to come work for him. Before NCIS, Tony had only ever stayed at one job for two years. He left because he got the feeling that the people around him were tired of him and wanted him gone. But not Gibbs.

When the thought about leaving NCIS when the two year mark rolled around, Gibbs sat him down and said to him: "Rule 5: You don't waste good." And that was that. It was Gibbs way of telling him that he wanted him to stay, so he did.

Over time, he came to think of Gibbs as a surrogate father. The man treated him better than his own father ever did, and Tony was just his subordinate. He wanted to tell Gibbs what he thought of him so many times, but was afraid of being rejected. It seems his fears were pointless.

Gibbs pulled away and looked at Tony. "Come on," he said, ruffling Tony's hair. "It's a beautiful day. Let's go play catch."

Tony cheered up. "Okay."

As they went outside, Tony's only thought was that his father was wrong. He **was** worthy of a father's love.

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Unbeknownst to the two of them, someone was watching.

"Soon, Junior," he vowed. "Soon I will finish what I started. And no one will be able to stop me. Not even Special Agent Gibbs." He then drove off, thinking of all the different ways he could carry out his revenge. Both against the one that got away, and the one who dared to take what was his.

-The End. To Be Continued in _"Anything For You"_-


End file.
